MONTEBELLO – A man and woman were arrested Wednesday after reportedly stealing a Montebello Fire Department command vehicle and scrawling a cryptic threat on the firehouse floor, officials said.

Steven Garcia, 21, of Monterey Park and Angelene Celeste Story, 19, of Alhambra were arrested with the 1999 Chevy Suburban about 6:20p.m. in Banning after being spotted by Banning fire officials, Montebello police said in a written statement.

“I’ve never heard of one like this before,” Montebello Fire Department Battalion Chief Dan Middlebrooks said. He added that this is the first time a Montebello Fire Department vehicle has been stolen from a fire station.

Fire officials discovered the SUV loaded with radios, cell phones, computers and other equipment was missing when they came out of a meeting about 5 p.m. at the Fire Department headquarters, 600 N. Montebello Blvd., Middlebrooks said.

Firefighters found a message written in neat script with a marker on a 4-foot-by-5-foot area of the floor, he said.

Montebello police Sgt. Luis Lopez declined to confirm or deny the text of the message.

Lopez said officials did not know what motivated the suspects, but added it was believed to be a crime of opportunity. Investigators do not believe the suspects had any specific plans in mind for the Fire Department’s SUV.

“You certainly can’t be discreet with it,” he added.

The alleged thieves entered the garage through a partially opened garage door and used a key left in the SUV to start it and drive off, police said.

Middlebrooks explained the the keys are always kept in the vehicle so it’s ready to go in case of emergency.

The garage door, he added, was left partially open to let out the afternoon heat.

Middleton said officials made contact with Garcia and Story via a cell phone that was in the SUV, and the suspects reported they were eastbound on the 10 Freeway in the Fontana area.

Fire officials in Banning noticed the Montebello fire vehicle and called local police, officials said.

Garcia and Story were initially arrested by a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection battalion chief who also works as a peace officer, Middlebrooks added.

Garcia was believed to be the driver, Lopez said.

Banning police then turned the suspects over to Montebello police and they were booked on suspicion of auto theft, Lopez said. Lopez described the two suspects as friends.

The Fire Department vehicle sustained minor damage to a rearview mirror, however it was not clear Thursday if the damage was the result of a collision or vandalism. No equipment was missing.

Bail for Garcia and Story was set at $35,000 each, Lopez said. Story had already posted a bond and was released from custody Thursday.

Garcia has also been arrested on suspicion of two other felonies and a misdemeanor in recent months, Lopez said. The sergeant declined to give further details of the arrests.

According to court records, the arrests occurred in Monterey Park, Alhambra and Los Angeles since mid-June.

Brian Day has covered crime and breaking news for the Southern California News Group since 2007. He’s a graduate of California State University, Fullerton and Cerritos College in Norwalk. He loves dogs and has a pet German shepherd, which in turn, has a pet cat. Brian is a local news junkie, a licensed drone pilot and a part-time science geek with an unfortunate predilection for puns.